If anyone is interested, I tried to make a few H-Bomb- and 9/11-related points in the thread appending Michael Shermer's recent Scientific American column, "Paranoia Strikes Deep." The commentfest is cacophonous and some dude with a French surname keeps breaking my balls, but that's the way it goes.
In other news, Andy Nowicki's Considering Suicide is expected to arrive from the printer next week. This is the fourth release from Nine-Banded Books, and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I realize it will seem like a bit of a curveball since Andy's worldview differs so starkly from my own, but I'm a sucker for sincerity and there's something about the guy's unreconstructed-Catholic-reactionary-with-a-dash-of-Kierkegaard take on the world situation that feels like forgotten romance. Andy speaks for a seldom acknowledged genus of the shit-upon, and his purity of conviction allows him to confront the postmodern crisis -- specifically what JG Ballard called "the death of affect" -- in ways that simply elude the professorial class. He feels the sting.
Andy's book will close the year for 9BB, but there's no stopping the juggernaut. 2010 will see the release of new books by Ann Sterzinger, Jim Crawford, Bradley Smith, and the notorious Samuel Crowell. Possibly a couple of others. It's going to be interesting.
I sometimes get emails from nice people who say I should post more often. I suppose I should. I wish I could. It's a temperamental thing, really. I write in fits and starts. I lack discipline, and I am easily distracted by snacks and bright colors. For what it's worth, I have been scribbling diligently (for me) at a few long-promised posts in follow up to my previously launched series (what's the plural of "series" -- series?) on antinatalism and the H, my two main beats of late. I'm also writing a review of the fascinating book Outbreak! for Richard Widmann's online journal, Inconvenient History. Reading about mass delusions and fads and sundry episodes of "Extraordinary Social Behavior" has jogged a lot of questions about what we might be missing. I may have a few questions for you.
Is Crowell actually notorious? I can't recall anyone but you ever referring to him.
I used to have Vanilla Fudge's version of Some Velvet Morning on my computer. I had never actually heard the original. I think I prefer the Fudge, more psychedelic.
Posted by: TGGP | September 12, 2009 at 06:20 PM
I was joking about the notoriety. Actually, it's an inside joke, but the story is boring.
Lee Hazlewood is the workin' man's Leonard Cohen.
Posted by: Chip Smith | September 12, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Is Considering Suicide off the press now?
Posted by: MRDA | October 01, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Yes. Your copy was mailed last week. Threw in some extra stuff due to the international postage.
I need to update the site. Thanks for the reminder.
Posted by: Chip Smith | October 03, 2009 at 08:59 AM
Really enjoying this title; might even scribe an overview. We'll see...
Cheers for the extras!
Posted by: MRDA | October 17, 2009 at 08:28 AM